During this period of indecision there is no record of the
Highland army's commanders having met to discuss what was
to be done; on the contrary, the Prince and Lord George Murray
appear to have acted quite independently of each other. Lord
George, indeed, seems to have deliberately avoided Charles,
for knowing that O'Sullivan had his ear, he had probably no
wish to be drawn into discussing some hare-brained scheme
inspired by the Adjutant-General. On his part O'Sullivan,
as a professional soldier, was equally critical of Lord George,
some of whose ideas seemed to him to outrage accepted military
practice, and the events of this afternoon were to provide
a foretaste of the mistrust and ill-feeling that were to subsist
between the two men throughout the campaign.
Although there was little danger of a frontal attack by the
royal army, out-guards were posted in advance of the Highland
position. One of the largest of these parties was stationed
at the Heugh, but apparently considering that it required
to be reinforced, O'Sullivan ordered 50 of Lochiel's regiment
to occupy the adjacent churchyard, 'for what reason', wrote
Lord George Murray, 'I could not under- stand'.
Shortly afterwards, according to O'Sullivan, Lord George and
the Prince were involved in a deplorable scene. As it seemed
possible that Cope, instead of fighting, might attempt to
slip away towards Edinburgh during the night, the Prince had
given orders that the Athollmen, who formed part of the reserve
under Lord Nairne, were to take up a position covering the
roads leading to Mussel- burgh. News of this movement had
evidently reached Lord George from unofficial sources, for
on the Prince coming over to the right he asked him 'in a
very high tone, what was become of the Athol Brigade; the
Prince told him, upon wch Ld George threw his gun on the Ground
in a great passion, & Swore God, he'd never draw his sword
for the cause, if the Bregade was not brought back'. In face
of this outburst the Prince meekly agreed to cancel the order,
but having been ' brought to himself' by Lochiel, Lord George
later asked that it might stand.
O'Sullivan's account, which is the sole record of this incident,
suggests that as commander of the Athollmen, Lord George had
no intention of letting them be ordered about without his
knowledge and consent, but knowing that they were badly-armed,
Murray may not unreasonably have considered them unfitted
for this service. The |
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